Martin Boetz: Chicken and prawn salad with caramelised coconut and lime

1.For poached chicken, place chicken stock in a large, deep-sided saucepan, add coconut cream, bring to the boil over high heat. Add oyster and fish sauces, galangal, lime leaves and lemongrass, set aside to infuse (10 minutes). Add chicken, return to the boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat. Weight chicken with a plate, cover and stand until chicken is cooked through (45-50 minutes). Remove chicken from liquid, set aside to cool (20-30 minutes), then coarsely shred chicken breast along the grain into long thin strips (discard skin, bone and sinew), transfer to a large bowl.

2. Meanwhile, for coconut-caramel sauce, pound ginger, coriander, garlic and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle to a fine paste. Heat oil over medium heat in a saucepan, add paste, stir until golden (2-3 minutes). Add palm sugar, stir until melted (4-5 minutes), add a little hot water to melt, if necessary, cook until light caramel (5-6 minutes). Add coconut, shrimp floss and shrimp paste, bring to a simmer over high heat, add fish sauce and 50ml water, season to taste – it should be sweet and salty. Return to boil, set aside, cool to room temperature (30-40 minutes), stir through lime juice. Makes 185ml.

3.Add prawn to chicken with coconut-caramel sauce, lime juice, lemongrass, ginger and peanuts and toss to combine. Add mint, coriander, lime leaves and chilli, gently toss to combine, and serve scattered with extra peanuts, with lime wedges to the side.